MagentaCandle said:
Well, here's one citizen who is up to speed on whats going on in the United States of America:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vFNAEYQkD3s
Please allow me to save everyone some time: Go straight to 7:00 and listen forward to the end. Then, if you still assign credibility to the author, go back and listen to the first seven minutes.
A lot of people have a "conspiracy complex". They need to see themselves as "victims" of a conspiracy because it gives them a framework for the pain they feel. They are lonely and angry, but they don't really know why. So, they just imagine vast conspiracies --- they blame the government. It's easier.
A levee breaks during a hurricane, well that's a government conspiracy. An earthquake causes a tsunami, well that's a government conspiracy. Some terrorists fly some planes into some buildings, well that's a government conspiracy. A president is killed, well that's a government conspiracy. The government makes plans for future crises --- well that's a government conspiracy.
The truth is harder to accept. Engineers make blunders. Tectonic plates shift without any regard for human life. People kill each other for nebulous reasons. Crazy people can bypass even the most elaborate of precautions. Governments try to make uncomfortable-sounding plans for Bad Things that may happen.
People that suffer from the "victim complex" can't accept the seeming randomness of the universe. They need someone to blame for their condition --- and the government is an easy target. If the "Conspiritites" are willing to suspend their disbelief --- or even take some things at face value --- then they can build a huge system of self-supporting fantasy.
And every time they find a gullible person to buy into it with them, it becomes a little easier for them to detach from reality. By hiding behind imaginary problems with a few comforting friends, they can avoid the real problems --- the real crimes taking place every day.